Foiled plot "comparable to 9/11"

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060811/ts_nm/security_britain_usa_dc

Foiled plot "comparable to 9/11"

By Deborah Charles Thu Aug 10, 8:09 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The plot foiled by Britain to blow up U.S.-bound flights would been as horrific as the September 11 attacks that killed almost 3,000 people, U.S.Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Thursday.


The suspected plotters were "a couple days from a test, and a few days from doing it," according to a U.S. intelligence official. Chertoff said the plan would have involved coordinated multiple suicide bombings.

"If these plotters had succeeded in taking down multiple jets carrying hundreds of people, we would have seen a disaster on a scale comparable to 9/11 with hundreds and maybe thousands of people being killed," Chertoff said in an interview on PBS's "NewsHour With Jim Lehrer."

He said al Qaeda might have been involved, and that the United States was in a race against "terrorist ingenuity.

[Blackthorn]

1. Well that didn't take long did it? n/t

[plasticsundance]

22. It's even more freaking ridiculous.

Yesterday, as reported on NPR (National Propaganda Radio) they reported the UK authorities stating just the opposite. They're trying to stroke this news item for all its worth, which makes me more skeptical of its veracity. It's like watching a room full of circle jerks that can't get it up anymore.

[tridim]

2. Something's odd about the "test"

Was the test run supposed to be done with water, or the real thing? Water wouldn't be a test at all, and the real thing would be too risky. It doesn't make sense.

[Monkeyman]

10. Nope

Test my butt they know Friday here this is sounding more and more like Rove wanted to wait until Neds Victory it is too close they started saying a vote for Ned was a vote for Ben ops he not around hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[aquart]

3. If pigs could fly, if wishes were horses, if, if, if.

Is Britain saying these suiciders could board a plane, caucus with a bunch of little bottles and blow the entire plane up without anyone noticing? How strong are these volatile liquids? I assume the explosion would occur where the potion was mixed........where would that be, precisely?

"A couple of days from a test..." What kind of test would that be, precisely? AND HOW DO THEY KNOW?

Were the chemicals already purchased? Plane tickets? For cash?

Eh. I'm still waiting to be impressed.

[evox]

16. their story is messed up

I think they rushed into publicizing their article before they finished working out the details of the plot. It sounds like they were in a hurry to get something out in public. Gee, I wonder why?

[2DleftofU]

24. So true

Until there is a fireball in the sky we can always say the plot would have never worked, was too complicated, or was an invention of Rove to distract us from something else.

And if there is an actual attack, we can say it is all Chimpy's fault.

Its a win-win for progressives.

[HeeBGBz]

29. That's what you get for crying wolf one too many times

People smell bullshit in the air.

[aquart]

32. Welcome to DU

Propaganda being used to terrorize people into submission is no win-win for anybody. Not even the fools using it.

Meantime, the "dangerous" confiscated liquids are being gathered up to distribute to homeless shelters and others are considering selling them on eBay, so deadly are they.

The real threat, of course, is that Lieberman lost, which could signal a changeover in Congress, investigations, arrests, trials, and prison terms for the treasonous, thieving bastards running this nation like a chop shop.

[KAZ]

4. Totally. GW didn't stop 9/11, nor this one. n/t

n/t

[Iwasthere]

5. 2 days from test and 3 from doing it???

"a couple days from a test, and a few days from doing it," How long does it take to fly here from there? So if they tested the morning after next and flew back immediatly then... you see where I am going

[antiblazer]

6. INVADING IRAQ WOULD NOT PREVENT AIRLINE PLOTS

Dems need to say it over and over again. Pouring more soldiers and money into Iraq would have done NADA NOTHING to prevent the 9/11 or today's airplane attack!!! Wasting lives and effort in Iraq does nothing to protect us here at home!!! How many of our ports are still insecure and cargo unchecked because the Repukes want to see a profit??? The Iraqi war does NOTHING to stop airplane hijackings!

If anything, today's events HIGHLIGHT Bush's failed war on Iraqis and his idiotic policies!!!

C'mon Dems!!!! Keep fighting!!!

[catnhatnh]

7. "Terrorist Ingenuity"

Perhaps-but only against an administration that claims that "no one could have forseen" every Goddamn thing they haven't prevented.It's been only weeks since the world's last superpower reported finding bodies in New Orleans almost a year after a predicted storm that was followed by a predicted failure of the levees...To the best of my knowledge the only thing on the face of this planet ANYONE in the current administration has prevented was an honest prosecution of the Vietnam War (Rumsfeld Cheney Wolfowitz),a full reporting of whom killed whom in central america (Wolfowitz Cheney Negroponte)or a hint why an AWOL frat boy was the best face for this farce....(every freakin' one of them)On my worst day this trash makes me look like Steven Hawking and on my best I remember "A Brief History of Time" and how small a blip they are on the radar...

[frylock]

8. it would be infinity + 1 times worse than a million 9/11s

thank garsh they stopped it.

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. This whole thing is absolutely bogus. It's just a matter of time before

some real foreign journalists tear this shit apart.

[TheDecider]

11. and the soldiers do...absolutely nothing

they were actually going to detonate the liquid with a flash from a disposable camera

[The_Casual_Observer]

12. Who said? Fox news?

There is no merit to any of this plot.

[bluestateguy]

13. Congratulations to the BRITISH

and to the BRITISH Intelligence and the BRITISH police.

Wait! I thought the War on Terror wasn't supposed to be a "law enforcement problem". Only those sissy libs and appeasers want to do it that way...

Oh well, anyway. Good work by the BRITISH for foiling a dangerous and destructive plot.

[drduffy]

15. bullshit

there was no plot other than that created by the neocons

anybody who believes the war on terrah is real.... duh.

well, I take that back.... the war on the terrorist bushistas is real. And I am at least one of patriots who will sign up to fight the bushistas.

[rodeodance]

19. yes, I agree. Police, FBI, etc, lead investigations---NOT WAR.

[orleans]

14. check this out:

www.therandirhodesshow.com

[aquart]

17. The War on Toiletries.

[Eurobabe]

18. 9-11, Nine-eleven, 9-eleven, Nine-11 (CON MEME)

Such B.S. Trying to raise those low poll numbers. Sorry */Chain-knee, the people are waking up -- your terra ruses are transparent these days.

[rodeodance]

20. WP Is It Al-Qaeda? Signs Point To a Surviving Terror Network

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/10/AR2006081001616.html
Is It Al-Qaeda?
Signs Point To a Surviving Terror Network

By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 11, 2006; Page A01

Strong indications of an al-Qaeda link to the alleged airliner-bombing plot uncovered in London yesterday suggest that the terrorist network has survived and adapted despite heavy blows to its leadership and organizational structure over the past five years, U.S. intelligence officials said.

Possible evidence of an al-Qaeda footprint, officials said, includes the trips made by several of the alleged plotters to Pakistan, where remaining al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be ensconced, and the sophistication and scope of plans to simultaneously attack aircraft headed toward the United States. The reported plot, as outlined here and in London, closely parallels one begun and aborted by al-Qaeda a decade ago.

Neither U.S. nor British officials were prepared yesterday to proclaim definitive evidence of direct involvement by Osama bin Laden or his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. They acknowledged that their conclusions are to some extent inferential and are based on bin Laden's repeated warnings of another major assault, the organization's known affinity for targeting commercial airliners, and their belief that no other terrorist group has the brains or the capability to plan such an audacious undertaking.

Elements of the suspected plot reflect their assessment of a newly evolved al-Qaeda strategy that depends -- unlike the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- on the Internet; indirect, local recruitment of disaffected Muslim youth; and an emphasis on European passport-holders less likely to be stopped at airports.

"It tells you that the enemy, as the military is fond of saying, is both thinking and adaptable," one official said. "They've gone through a thorough process, given the increase of security that we've done on flying planes, of thinking, 'Is there a way we can still get on board and take airplanes down?' . . . This is an extremely talented, thinking group."......

[Vinca]

21. Wonder whatever happened to the Miami guys?

I guess the "cell" wasn't important enough to last until the elections.

[0007]

23. The proof is in the ........

pudding WTC-7

[fasttense]

25. If the British hadn't been involved,

we would not be hearing about this. The bushes were briefed about Bin Ladden and his intended attacks but they did NOTHING. In fact I heard that the bushes response after being briefed about Bin Ladden's plans was "Ok, you covered your a**." Our Homeland inSecurity dept. is so inept they would have found nothing if not for the British involvement.

[Bridget Burke]

26. But this time Bush & Co couldn't ignore the warnings.

The Brits did good police & intelligence work. And the story was too big to shuffle under the table.

Skeletor Chertoff bleated "since 9/11" several times yesterday. As in--"since 9/11, we've been more careful"? Confirming LIHOP.

Chertoff also commended all parts of the US government for working together so well. (Although the US government didn't do much to "foil" this plot.) However, he didn't add "since Katrina."

[zippy890]

27. This is a crock

yes it would have been horrible- possible multiple air disasters, but NOT the same as 9/11 hijackers who turned airplanes into missles & destoyed trade center & 3000 people. Hundreds dead possible, not thousands

playing the FEAR card to the hilt once again

plus the plan was not even scheduled yet.

listen to Rachel Maddow's podcast from this morning - her interview the the author of "America the Vulnerabe"(forgot his name)

US is over reacting here now, we need to take a deep breath and stop letting these things spook us.

[sofa king]

28. No, it's comparable to Operation Bojinka, the attacks foiled BEFORE 9/11.

Remember? The attacks that were foiled by Bill Clinton? The ones that Condi Rice forgot about?

After simultaneously blowing up a number of airliners over the Pacific with time bombs, the second phase of the operation was to include a suicide pilot flying a plane packed with explosives into the CIA offices in Langley, VA.

DR. RICE: Steve, I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon; that they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile.

[Massachusetts]

30. Its about time Dem Pols use this quote to counter Chimpco

“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”:
-FDR

many ways to interpret.

[leesa]

31. Yes, it is, isn't it. Just as much of a scam.